Why Amazon Kindle?

[swiftness91]

Hey guys and girls,

I'm curious to know why you chose to buy an Amazon Kindle over other e-readers. Is it because of the e-ink feel to it? Amazon loyalty? The features or look of kindles? Either way I'd really like to hear some of your reasons

[Meemo]

When I got my first Kindle in 2008, it was the best choice because of the wireless option, which made it more attractive to me.  Also, the other "big" player in the market then was the Sony reader, and I figured I'd be happier with a reader sold by a bookstore rather than a reader sold by an electronics company dabbling in books. 

Other readers have come (and gone) since then, but what keeps me with Amazon is their customer service and how they stand behind the Kindle.  eInk screens are all essentially the same.  Features are becoming more similar between devices (although Kindle Touch has features the Kobo and Nook Touch models don't have).  Bottom line, though, is the customer service, and the fact that there are 4 of us on the Kindle account and we have a big library.  I have books from Sony (a few of which I bought, the majority were free) and from B&N (all were free) and many of those books overlap with my Kindle library; but the vast majority of my eBook library is on Amazon's shelves.  And I haven't had reason yet to regret that.   

[The Hooded Claw]

Amazon loyalty and the good experience of an enabling friend with his K1.

[pomtroll]

I have other readers but still got the Kindle (my first was a K3). I now have the KTSO. I like the extra mile kindle goes for customer service & I like the extra book selections.  Is it my favorite reader to read on? No, but never the less it is a very good reader.

[TraceyC/FL]

I needed a reader for my DD for bookshare books, I could have picked any of them really. I chose the kindle because amazons DRM isn't tied to a CC like barnes and noble.

It made the choice easy!

[Seleya]

Two reasons, really.

1) I have been an Amazon costumer for years and have had only good experiences with them.

2) Any  'just decent' ereader in my country costs half as much as the Kindle.

[Ann in Arlington]

1 word:  Whispernet.

When I saw it advertised with the wireless downloading of books I thought "cool!"  But that was the second day of it's release and it was already sold out!  I eventually purchased about 6 months later after the price had gone down $40.  In the between time, I did check out the other readers available at the time -- which basically was only the Sony model.  It didn't have the wireless downloading so, even though I thought it looked slicker, I went with the more functional Kindle.  And have never looked back.

[kisala9906]

I actually did not do a lot of shopping from amazon when I first got my kindle and did not have a lot of knowledge about e readers but I was getting tired of always lugging a book around. I seen a commercial for the kindle and I loved the commercial, bought one the same day, never regretted it, amazon CS is amazing!!

[AnitaBartholomew]

I chose Kindle because Amazon is the major ebook marketplace. Now that Amazon is asking indies to go exclusive on Kindle if they want to be in the Kindle Select program, that position is solidifying. Plus, I wanted something easy on the eyes. While my e-ink Kindle screen isn't as pretty as an iPad, I can read on it for hours, just as I would read a dead-tree book.

Anita

[RobertKindle]

Amazon controls a sizable amount of the e-reader market. 

Amazon continued to lead the eReader market holding just over 48% share in 4Q10 and 2010 overall. Amazon's share recovered in 4Q10 with shipments of the refreshed Kindle (3) after dipping under 40% in 3Q10.
http://www.idc.com/about/viewpressrelease.jsp?containerId=prUS22737611&sectionId=null&elementId=null&pageType=SYNOPSIS

I know that sounds like a weird reason to go with the Amazon Kindle but the market leader is one which can have a greater say in the future of the medium.  It also indicates that Amazon isn't going anywhere, whereas the lesser-known e-readers such as the Sony and Kobo models could easily leave the market place. 

Also a way that iPad owners get e-books is via the Amazon Kindle service so even though it may appear that Apple is a competitor it is really just functioning as an additional method for Amazon to make its impression in the market

[Alan Ryker]

Where my books come from doesn't matter to me. I buy them from anywhere and put them on anything.

I do have a positive attitude towards Amazon after many good transactions.

But the real deciding factor is that the K3 was the first affordable pearl e-ink reader.

[PhillyGuy]

I'm curious to know why you chose to buy an Amazon Kindle over other e-readers.

The reason I chose to buy the Kindle Keyboard at introduction (September 2010) was no-monthly-fee near-worldwide cell-phone based internet. When our youngest backpacked through Eastern Europe last summer, he could email us from every country. That was worth the price of admission by itself.

As for why I like it when not lending to another family member, that has to do with everything I didn't know when I bought it.

1. @kindle.com address and all it means.  For example, go to www.longform.org and search for the word "Kindle." You'll find it, because Kindle's loading by email allows web sites to integrate with the device. You won't find "Nook" because material can only be sideloaded, onto that puppy, by a cable connection. Same with the news sources at calibre-ebook.com.

2. New York Times Latest News Blog. $1.99 a month for best of the New York Times. This is the killer app for Kindle, especially if you can spring for 3G.

If all I read were books, I might vote for the Nook because of more consistent public library borrowing capability through the EPUB format.

[ak rain]

Sony needed program on computer. Kindle could stand on its own and when using a computer could attach to any computer.  Unlike I-thing that wants same computer each time.
Sylvia


Why My home computers are getting old

[William G. Jones]

The two big players at the time were Kindle and Nook. I liked Amazon's Kindle store much better than B&N's Nook store, and I liked the physical keyboard on the K3 MUCH better than that touchscreen panel on the 1st generation Nook.

In fact, I'd already started reading Kindle books on my iPhone before I got a Kindle.

[Buttercup]

Can't really say why I bought the K1 but as soon as it arrived it was LOVE and I'll never stray

[jbcohen]

I'm one of those that have been around electronic readers for a while and I have owned different readers, other than the current kindle. 

1) My first electronic reader was a Pandigital Novel, which was stolen but really didn't do an adequate job of reading electronic book.  It was cheap when I got it (sold for $130 minus a $30 coupon) but did not really do the job well.

2) Next I went with a cheap electronic reader, well was cheap at the time, it was as Aluratek Libra Pro.  The first one was shoved in a pocket of my coat returning from the gym and the screen got cracked.

3) The third was also a Libra Pro which malfunctioned badly and would not show anything;

4) The fourth is the current Kindle 3 aka kindle Keyboard.

I like the fact that amazon provides a lot of low cost (at or below $4) books allowing me to pinch the long term costs of the electronic reader, which is where the providers usually get you (witness the Proctor and Gamble Gillette Fusion blades, I don't use a cartridge razor because the long term costs are too high).

[KTaylor-Green]

I jumped on the ereader bandwagon later than a lot of you. I didn't get mine til this past May. Up til then I was strictly a hard copy reader. But friends of mine had kindles and we set up a book sharing club. So I got the K3 and just fell in love! Amazon is a wonderful company with incredible customer service. They proved that when we bought our grandson a kindle in September and we had to have it replaced.......twice!! I imagine that the Nook is a really good product, but I am so happy with my kindle, that to get one would be just to say I own it. Don't see the point.

[NightGoat]

It started with one book that Amazon had that wasn't available for the Nook (B&N) which prompted me to buy a Kindle.

And then another book, another book, cheaper ebooks... One day B&N and their CS lied to me and wouldn't give a refund... needless to say I've been buying my books from Amazon instead ever since.

My Kindle is fat and heavy with ebooks.

[mooshie78]

E-ink was part of it as I wanted an e-ink reader.  When I got my first Kindle, the only other real option in the e-ink arena was Sony.  

I compared book selection and prices and found Amazon had a few books I was interested in that Sony didn't, and if there were any price differences, Amazon was always the cheaper on the books I checked.  That's became moot after Agency pricing as most books I read now have prices set by the publisher, but it was a factor back then.

Finally, Whispernet on the Kindle sold me as I liked the idea of not having to hook up to a computer to download books.  Also now moot as pretty much all the e-readers at least have Wifi, and I don't need 3G as I have wifi at home and don't take my e-reader out and about much.


So those are the reasons I went with the Kindle.   The reason I've stuck with it is with DRM you're pretty much locked into whatever e-reader you first choose if you want to access the books you've bought without hassling with stripping DRM, converting file formats etc.  

That leads to another thing I love about Kindle--being able to sync my books and furthest page read instantly across all my gadgets.

Not that I've really wanted to switch as I'm fine with the Kindle.  I have always liked the Sony Reader hardware designs slightly better though, but not enough to switch.  That said, i don't have much problem reading on my iPad in the Kindle app, so I'm not sure whether I'd buy another Kindle if something happens to my K3.

[ElaineOK]

When I bought my K2, it was pretty much Kindle or Sony.  (There were others, but I was not aware of them.)  I liked the Sony hardware, but I bought a Kindle for access to the Amazon store and whispernet. 

Now, why do I stay with Amazon?  Frankly, I really like B&N's hardware, but. . . .

1.  Amazon selection and customer service;
2.  E-ink is not negotiable, but it is available elsewhere;
3.  Free 3G connection;
4.  Ease of use;
5.  Size of market, Kindles will always be supported, there are too many of them out there;
6.  I believe that Amazon is committed to low pricing, and will work towards supporting lower ebook prices;
7.  Size of existing library in Kindle format;
8.  Ability to email books bought elsewhere to my Kindle;
9.  B&N's drm system and account identification system.

Those are the reasons that come to mind.  Don't get me wrong, I think the Nooks are fabulous.  When I bought my Kindle, there were no Nooks.  I was not impressed with the original Nook, but I have been impressed with both the Nook Touch and the Color (although, for my use e-ink is not negotiable, the Color is still impressive hardware). 

Elaine
Norman, OK

[Hadou]

Price, mostly.

[dt56]

We looked at all the readers and we ended up buying a Kindle because my wife works for Amazon and gets a discount on everything she buys.

[LaraAmber]

We looked at all the readers and we ended up buying a Kindle because my wife works for Amazon and gets a discount on everything she buys.

What's her name and how do I become her best friend?

[Mary Johnson]

LOL Lara!

Mary J

[Nickinev]

The main reason is the ability to sync sideloaded books. I also really like Amazon's products, customer service and prices.